Case shift device for music typewriters and the like



Feb. 28, 1967 PAVEY CASE SHIFT DEVICE FOR MUSIC TYPEWRITERS AND .THELIKE Filed May 26, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 28, 1967 L. PAVEY 3,306,418

Filed May 26, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 28, 1967 PAVEY 3,306,418

CASE SHIFT DEVICE FOR MUSIC TYPEWRITER S AND THE LIKE Filed May 26, 1965 a Sheets-Sheet z United States Patent 3,306,418 CASE SHIFT DEVICE FOR MUSIC TYPEWRITERS AND THE LIKE Lily Pavey, 29 Laing House, Councillor St., London, England Filed May 26, 1965, Ser. No. 458,916 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Dec. 21, 1964, 51,7 7 8/ 64 3 Claims. (Cl. 197-74) This invention relates to typewriting and like machines of the kind wherein typeheads are caused to strike, directly or through a ribbon, a paper or other sheet supported at the rear by a platen.

It is well known in the art to provide a shift mechanism whereby two different parts of a typehead are selectively caused to give an impression. Either the typehead may always act at the same relative height, the platen being raised or lowered as required, or again the platen is caused to remain at the same relativeheight and the typehead raised or lowered, e.g. the entire typehead and typebar basket in the case of some common forms of typewriter.

In some instances, for example when constructing a typewriting machine for typing music, it is necessary to have the positional relationship between the typehead and striker element variable selectively so as to give more than two positions.

In addition, where the typescript impressions to be formed are to be shifted vertically in order to determine the relative position in which they are printed upon the paper only one symbol may be carried upon each typehead or face, whilst, in order that any symbol may be typed upon the paper over a relatively wide vertical space, it is essential that the paper should be supported by an upwardly directed striker plate or platen of sufficient height. Thus where music is to be typed, it is necessary that any symbol may be able to be typed at any point over a vertical range equivalent to one octave, the position being able to be changed in a stepwise manner, each step being equivalent to one eighth of an octave.

The object of the present invention is to provide means whereby the positional relationship of striker element and typehead can be varied selectively in a manner providing more than two possible positions of location.

According to the present invention a typewrit-ing machine is provided having means for providing more than two step-by-step relative shift motions between the striker elements and the typeheads comprising a number of shift key levers co-acting each with a common shift lever frame and a locking bar such that said shift key levers can be used selectively to displace the common shift lever frame to any one of a pre-determined number of shift positions where it will remain until reset, the resulting setting of the common shift lever frame determining the setting of typeheads relatively to the striker elements.

Preferably the common shift lever frame includes a crossbar adapted to be displaced to any one of a pre-deter mined settings on depression of the appropriate shift key lever, there being means for holding the selected shift key lever in its depressed condition until such time as a different shift key lever is depressed.

The means for holding a shift key lever in its depressed condition preferably comprises a shoulder formation on the shift key and a shift key lock-ing bar that is resiliently biassed into a locking relationship with said shoulder formation on depression of a shift key lever.

The machine includes means whereby a ribbon guide is movable by linkages from the' shift key levers to a corresponding number of vertical positions determined by the positional relationship of the striker element and the typehead.

3,306,418 Patented Feb. 28, 1967 Preferably, means are included to provide movement of a paper or other sheet supported at the rear of the platen, in pre-determined vertical spacings in either an upward or downward direction.

In order that the nature of the invention may be readily ascertained, an embodiment of multiple shift means for a music typewriter is hereinafter particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation to show the linkage and step motion device controlling the shift of the typebar basket;

FIG. 2 is a perspective illustration of the shift mechanism elements and adjustable shift means; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary detail showing the construction of a transport mechanism for moving the paper in upwards or downwards direction in pre-deterrnined spacings.

The music typing machine to be described is of the kind wherein the striker plate remains unchanged in height on the frame of the machine, although movable laterally, whilst the entire basket of typebars, operated through any suitable linkage from keys, is shiftable vertically with respect to the striker plate so as to permit the impression of the typehead to be formed at the desired position on the usual stave lines of music.

Referring first to FIG. 1, there is illustrated the vertical movement linkage of the typebar basket 1. An upper ball race fitted to the typebar basket 1 supports a ball bearing 2 in a vertical track (not shown) located on the machine side plates (not shown). A lower frame element 3 has a pivot 4 supported in suitable bearings on the machine side plates and linked to the typebar basket 1 by pivot 5. Springs 6 are provided to urge the typebar basket 1 to its upward position. The whole system is duplicated on the other side of the machine for symmetry. Supported in suitable bearings 7 in the machine side plates, is a shift lever frame 8 linked to the lower. frame element 3 by pivot 99. Located on the shift lever frame crossbar 10 are eight individually adjustable screw-threaded studs 11.

Referring now to FIG. 2 a cross shaft 12 is illustrated on which eight shift key levers 13a, 13b, 130, etc. are pivoted, only five of the series being illustrated for clarity. Each shift key lever is provided with a cam surface 17a, 17b, 170, etc. and a shoulder 39a, 39b, 390, etc. The shift lever frame 8 is diagrammatically illustrated to show the eight individually adjustable actuating studs 11a, 11b, 110, etc, in alignment with the operating faces 14a, 14b, 140, etc. on the shift key levers. The shift lever locking bar 15 is supported in suitable bearings and springs 16 are provided to urge the locking bar against the cam surfaces 17a, 17b, 170, etc. of the shift key levers.

In practice, downward pressure on any one of the eight shift key levers, (for example 13d) will cause the operating face 14d to abut and displace the adjustable stud lid on the shift lever frame and thus move the frame 8 in a downward direction, the movement being determined by the pre-selected position of the adjustable actuating stud lid.

The shift lever locking bar 15 is caused to override the cam surface 17d on the shift key lever 13d until it locks against the shoulder 39d to hold the shift key lever 13d in a downward position. Thus through the linkages herein described, downward movement on any one shift key lever will cause the typebar basket to move in a downward direction to a position determined by the independently adjustable actuating studs 11a, 11b,'11c, etc.

Downward pressure on any of the other shift key levers e. g. 13a will cause its cam surface 17a to actuate the shift lever locking bar 15 thus releasing the shift key 3 lever 13a, and to lock the re-selected shift key lever 13a in its downward position, the type basket taking up its new vertical position, determined by the pre-selected position of the adjustable actuating stud 11a.

In practice, when the machine is being used, the operator can select the height at which successive type impressions will be made in a positive manner by merely depressing the appropriate shift key. By way of example, for regular ascension such as in a rising scale in music, the shift lever keys would be operated in sequence from left to right between each typebar operation.

Referring now to FIG. 3, illustrating various parts of the means whereby the paper in the typewriter may be moved upwardly or downwardly as desired by a predetermined spacing (for example one octave), there is shown a platen 20 having a fiat insert 21 of rubber or other material of similar quality, the flat insert 21 being of sufiicient height to provide a backing for the range of notes be typed (for example one octave).

The carriage roller (not shown) is rigid and coaxial with a toothed wheel 30 co-operating with a double armed pawl 24. The pawl 24 is slidably mounted between two stationary arcuate shaped portions 33, 34, the arcuate portion 34 being of a length such that when the pawl 24 is in a neutral position as shown the two arms of the pawl 24 embrace the arcuate portion 34.

The pawl 24 is pivotally mounted by a pivot 29 at one end of a linkage 26, the linkage 26 being pivoted at its other end by a pivot 28 to the end of one arm of a cranked linkage 25.

The end of the other arm of the cranked linkage 25 is rigid with a pin 27 extending through a machine side plate 3 5, there being a linespace lever 22 rigidly mounted on the pin 27. The linespace lever 22 is formed with spaced surfaces 36, 37 which, in the neutral setting of the linespace lever 22, are disposed one on each side of and spaced from a stop 32.

The apparatus also includes a resiliently biassed stop member 38 that cooperates with the toothed sections of the wheel 30 to hold it at the setting to which it has been rotated.

The operation of the mechanism illustrated in FIG. 3 is as follows:

On exerting an upward force on the linespace lever 22, the direction of the arrow 23, the pin 27 and the cranked linkage 25 are rotated about the axis of the pin 27 until the surface 36 abuts against the stop 32. The resulting movement of the pin 28 carried by the cranked linkage 25 is to move the linkage 26 in the direction of the arrow 31. This movement of the linkage 26 forces the pawl 24 to move to the left, as viewed in FIG. 3, and causes the pawl 24 to coact with the arcuate shaped portion 34 in a manner rocking the pawl 24 about its pivot 29 such that the arm 24A of the pawl 24 is moved away from the wheel 30 to permit the pawl to slide under the arcuate shaped portion 34. This rocking movement of the pawl 24 causes its other arm 24B to move into engagement with the teeth of the wheel 30 and thereafter as the pawl 24 continues its sliding movement from right to left it causes the wheel 30 to rotate in the direction of the arrow 31 by the desired amount. On releasing the upward force on the linespace lever 22 it returns, by resilient means not shown, to its neutral position and therewith the pawl 24 returns to the position shown in FIG. 3, the wheel 30 being held in its new position by the stop member 38.

In a similar manner if the linespace lever 22 is forced downwardly until the surface 37 thereon abuts the stop 32 the wheel 30 will be caused to rotate by the desired amount in a direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow 31.

The wheel 30 drives contacting paper feed rollers.

Vertical feed of the paper can, of course, be effected also by manual rotation of the wheel 30.

What is claimed is:

1. In a typewriting machine having a striker plate and a basket of typebars that is displaceable upwardly and downwardly past said striker plate in a manner providing a step-by-step motion of the basket of typebars, means for causing said motion consisting of a plurality of upwardly biassed shift key levers, a dis-placeable shift key locking bar common to all said shift key levers, a shoulder formation on each shift key lever such that on depression of a shift key lever said shoulder formation will engage under said displaceable shift key locking bar, a cam surface on each shift key lever such that on depression of a shift key lever its cam surface acts on said shift key locking bar to displace it out of engagement with the shoulder formation of the previously depressed shift key lever in a manner releasing said previously depressed shift vkey lever from its depressed setting, movement of said cam surface past the shift key locking bar permitting the shift key locking bar to return to its initial setting in which it locks with the shoulder formation of the depressed shift key lever to hold it in its depressed setting, a pivotally mounted shift lever frame having a plurality of actuating studs mounted thereon, each of said studs extending a different distance from said shift lever frame, links connecting the basket of typebars to said shift lever frame such that the settling of the shift lever frame determines the setting of the basket of typebars relatively to said striker plate, each of said shift key levers having an operating face cooperating with an actuating stud carried by said shift lever frame, said operating faces lying at different and unique distances from their corresponding actuating studs when said shift levers are in their unactuated position, said different and unique distances being proportional to the displacement of the shift lever frame obtained by the respective shift levers whereby each of said shift lever keys can be pivoted through an equal angle to selectively displace said shift lever frame and said type basket to any one of a plurality of different shift positions.

2. The improvement in a typewriting machine set forth in claim 1 including means whereby the amount by which a depressed shift key lever displaces the shift lever frame is adjustable.

3. The improvement in a typewriting machine set forth in claim 2 and wherein said means whereby the amount by which a depressed shift key lever displaces the shift key lever frame is adjustable comprises a cross bar carried by said shift lever frame, said studs being screwed into said cross bar for engagement with said shift key lever.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 500,793 7/1893 Bowen 1978 1,604,647 10/1926 Lucas 197--8 2,020,574 11/ 1935 Robertson 235-27 2,542,632 2/1951 'Molin 1978 2,858,923 11/1958 Salmon 1978 2,935,577 3/1960 Dumke et al 235- X 2,942,253 6/1960 Pederson 197l07 X 3,013,717 12/1961 Mehan et al. 235l45 X 3,207,429 9/1965 Crossland et al. 235-445 X FOREIGN PATENTS 473,199 7/1952 Italy.

ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner.

E. S. BURR, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A TYPEWRITING MACHINE HAVING A STRIKER PLATE AND A BASKET OF TYPEBARS THAT IS DISPLACEABLE UPWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY PAST SAID STRIKER PLATE IN A MANNER PROVIDING A STEP-BY-STEP MOTION OF THE BASKET OF TYPEBARS, MEANS FOR CAUSING SAID MOTION CONSISTING A PLURALITY OF UPWARDLY BIASSED SHIFT KEY LEVERS, A DISPLACEABLE SHIFT KEY LOCKING BAR COMMON TO ALL SAID SHIFT KEY LEVERS, A SHOULDER FORMATION ON EACH SHIFT KEY LEVER SUCH THAT ON DEPRESSION OF A SHIFT KEY LEVER SAID SHOULDER FORMATION WILL ENGAGE UNDER SAID DISPLACEABLE SHIFT KEY LOCKING BAR, A CAM SURFACE ON EACH SHIFT KEY LEVER SUCH THAT ON DEPRESSION OF A SHIFT KEY LEVER ITS CAM SURFACE ACTS ON SAID SHIFT KEY LOCKING BAR TO DISPLACE IT OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SHOULDER FORMATION OF THE PREVIOUSLY DEPRESSED SHIFT KEY LEVER IN A MANNER RELEASING SAID PREVIOUSLY DEPRESSED SHIFT KEY LEVER FROM ITS DEPRESSED SETTING, MOVEMENT OF SAID CAM SURFACE PAST THE SHIFT KEY LOCKING BAR PERMITTING THE SHIFT KEY LOCKING BAR TO RETURN TO ITS INITIAL SETTING IN WHICH IT LOCKS WITH THE SHOULDER FORMATION OF THE DEPRESSED SHIFT KEY LEVER TO HOLD IT IN ITS DEPRESSED SETTING, A PIVOTALLY MOUNTED SHIFT LEVER FRAME HAVING A PLURALITY OF ACTUATING STUDS MOUNTED THEREON, EACH OF SAID STUDS EXTENDING A DIFFERENT DISTANCE FROM SAID SHIFT LEVER FRAME, LINKS CONNECTING THE BASKET OF TYPEBARS TO SAID SHIFT LEVER FRAME SUCH THAT THE SETTING OF THE SHIFT LEVER FRAME DETERMINES THE SETTING OF THE BASKET OF TYPEBARS RELATIVELY TO SAID STRIKER PLATE, EACH OF SAID SHIFT KEY LEVERS HAVING AN OPERATING FACE COOPERATING WITH AN ACTUATING STUD CARRIED BY SAID SHIFT LEVER FRAME, SAID OPERATING FACES LYING AT DIFFERENT AND UNIQUE DISTANCES FROM THEIR CORRESPONDING ACTUATING STUDS WHEN SAID SHIFT LEVERS ARE IN THEIR UNACTUATED POSITION, SAID DIFFERENT AND UNIQUE DISTANCES BEING PROPORTIONAL TO THE DISPLACEMENT OF THE SHIFT LEVER FRAME OBTAINED BY THE RESPECTIVE SHIFT LEVERS WHEREBY EACH OF SAID SHIFT LEVER KEYS CAN BE PIVOTED THROUGH AN EQUAL ANGLE TO SELECTIVELY DISPLACE SAID SHIFT LEVER FRAME AND SAID TYPE BASKET TO ANY ONE OF A PLURALITY OF DIFFERENT SHIFT POSITIONS. 